


The One Where Annabeth is from Night Vale

by ohdamitsme



Series: Night Vale!Annabeth Chase-verse [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: F/M, M/M, Old Oak Doors, Tags Are Hard, annabeth runs away earlier than in cannon, annabeth was born in 2002, i had this idea in my head for a while now, idk yall, magnus archives mentions, more characters i'm not adding them all, no beta we die like nvcr interns, rating for swearing, starts in the year 2007, this is a cry for help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29640960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohdamitsme/pseuds/ohdamitsme
Summary: At age five, Annabeth Chase finds a door. An old one, made of oak. She goes through it, and ends up somewhere.... not in Virginia.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Carlos/Cecil Palmer
Series: Night Vale!Annabeth Chase-verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2203977
Comments: 9
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> An AU I've had rattling around in my head for a bit now. I'm typing the Prologue out on mobile, so sorry if it is a bit rough.
> 
> Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/30xEbsWpiTeY0hyJPb53Ih?si=Njjie2H2SmGEBbocsDpVPw&utm_source=copy-link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth finds a door.

**Richmond,** **Virginia**

**July 12, 2007**

Annabeth was five when the door appeared. 

She was trying to fall asleep after a long, hard day. A day full of no one believing her about the spiders that came to her every night. She lay in bed, clutching the dagger that had been a gift from her mother, Athena, the night Annabeth was claimed. She waited for the spiders to come, full of dread. 

And come they did. 

But then, the door appeared. Old, oak, and standing unsupported in the center of her room. Without thinking, she ran toward it and pulled its brass knob open. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was short :/


	2. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth meets someone.

**Night Vale, USA**

**2007**

“Listeners, there is a _child_ in the studio.” said the man in the recording booth. Annabeth had stumbled out of the old oak door into a radio station. She looked out the window, into a desert. _Desert?_ She thought, _in Virginia?_

“Ex-excuse me sir,” Annabeth said to the man, “where am I?” 

“Why, you’re in Night Vale, of course. What’s your name?”

“Um… Annabeth. Annabeth Chase.”

“Hello, Annabeth. I’m Cecil. The radio host.” He smiled at her. 

Cecil seemed nice, but he looked strange. Blond hair, three purple eyes. _Three? What??_ And… tattoos. Lots of them. They looked like… tentacles. _Huh. Weird._

“Are you lost?” Cecil asked. 

_Am I? I can’t go back to my family. They hate me._ Annabeth thought. 

“Yes.” Annabeth replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, another short one. I'l l get better, I promise.


	3. The Adoption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth finds a new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D

“Soooo… where are we going?” Annabeth asked. She and Cecil were in his car, driving through the small desert town of Night Vale, Cecil having finished his broadcast, which was  _ very _ strange, in Annabeth’s opinion. 

“To my place,” Cecil replied, “I thought you could spend some time there until I figure out where you can stay.”

“I can’t stay with you? Like, you can’t adopt me?” 

Cecil considered that. “I guess… we could try that.”

Annabeth smiled. Even though the local radio host was a bit weird- and that was putting it mildly- he was too nice to be one of the monsters she had encountered while trying to run away from her family before. He didn’t seem like he was trying to kidnap her, either. Annabeth decided Cecil would make a great dad. 

“Ah, here we are!” he said, stopping the car. Cecil and Annabeth had pulled up to an apartment building, a bit worn. He got out, her following close behind. A late-night jogger across the street pointed at Annabeth and yelled “INTERLOPER!” before calmly walking on.  _ What was THAT?  _ Annabeth thought.  _ This place is weird.  _

She stepped into the apartment Cecil unlocked. “Sorry, it’s a bit small. And messy.” Cecil said. 

“It’s okay. Where will I be sleeping?” Annabeth asked. 

“Um… here on the couch. I guess. I could go talk to the City Council tomorrow, see if they’ll let me adopt you.” he replied. 

Annabeth was soon asleep on the couch, happy with her new, albeit strange, home.

\-------------------------------

Cecil walked down to City Hall, thinking about the five-year-old girl, Annabeth, he had found. He wasn’t  _ kidnapping  _ her, per se, since she had come willingly. He Knew that she had a family. A dad. A stepmom. Her real mom was the goddess Athena. Normal stuff. The only thing Annabeth had brought with her were the clothes on her back and her glowing, bronze knife, so he would have to buy more clothes and stuff for her tomorrow. She had come through an old oak door. That was weird, even for Night Vale. 

When he arrived at City Hall, Cecil had to bleed on the door in order to get in. He came before the City Council and asked if he could adopt Annabeth Chase. The council roared and replied in perfect unison, “Yes. You may.” 

Cecil smiled. Annabeth was his daughter now, and he would treat her as such. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a bit of a time jump, so get ready for that!


	4. The Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth has a conversation with her cousin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time jump, babey!!! Also, I am on a ROLL today.

* * *

**Night Vale, USA**

**June 15, 2012**

Annabeth Palmer sat down in the school cafeteria next to her friend and adopted cousin, Janice.  
Together, Annabeth and Janice were unstoppable. Janice, being a basketball player, was strong, but also smart. Annabeth, being a daughter of Athena(something everyone in Night Vale excepted) was extremely bright. They could probably kill librarians together, and would not hesitate to do so. However, they only saw each other away from their families, Janice’s mom, Abby, was Cecil’s sister, but they weren’t very close, and Cecil outright hated Steve Carlesburg, Janice’s stepdad.

The girls were inseparable at school, though.

“Annabeth.” Janice said.

“Yeah?” Annabeth replied, a bit nervous at her cousin’s tone.

“Have you listened to your dad’s show today?”

“No… I’m always here before it starts, remember?”

“Oh… well-” Janice giggled “-it’s a bit interesting today.”

How is that out of the ordinary? Annabeth thought.

“Go on.” Annabeth said, propping her chin on her hands in front of her lunch. “I'm listening.”

“Weeeeeell….” Janice said, dragging out the word. “There’s a new guy in town. A scientist, I guess”

“How? I thought you couldn’t find Night Vale.”

“You did.”  
“Not on purpose. I was five. And scared of the spiders at my-” Annabeth hesitated “-old house.”

Annabeth hated talking about her old life, pre-Night Vale. She hadn’t seen or thought about her old family in years. Cecil was her dad now. Not Frederick Chase. She hadn’t even thought about her cousin, Magnus, since 2007. She missed him.

“Well,” Janice said, interrupting Annabeth’s thoughts, “this guy and his team of scientists did.”

“Wait. There’s more?” Annabeth shrieked.

“Yeah. I don’t know how many, though.”

“Huh.” Annabeth said. “So was that all? Or…”

“No, that’s not all.” Janice smirked a bit.

“What is it, Janice.”

“I think your dad likes the guy.”

“What.”

“Yeah.”

Annabeth stared at the table blankly for a whole minute. She never once, in her five years in Night Vale, with all the weird shit she’d seen, she had never, ever, thought about her dad liking somebody. That was weird. She’d have to talk to her dad about that later. But for now, she ate her lunch with Janice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Annabeth is a Palmer now. What did you expect? Also, me with the shitty ass chapter titles.


	5. The... Talk? I guess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Cecil talk.

“Hey, Dad?” Annabeth called, plopping her bag down on the floor in her and her dad’s apartment. “Hi Annabeth! How was school?” Cecil said, coming into view. 

“We have to talk.”

“What do you mean, Do I  _ like  _ someone?” Cecil sputtered. 

“Well? Spill the tea, Dad.” 

“Um- I guess the new science guy is nice.”

Annabeth had to stifle a laugh. “Okay. I won’t push you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have homework to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to  
> 1) Get better chapter titles  
> 2) Write longer chapters.


	6. The Librarians. *screams*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Summer Reading Program is upon us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! I'm back, ya'll! Sorry for being MIA for so long. Thanks to everyone that has left comments, kudos, and bookmarks.

Night Vale, USA  
August 1, 2013

“Wh-where am I?” Annabeth cried, waking up with a start. “The library. You must be here for the Summer Reading Program.” said a girl. She looked to be maybe a year or two older than Annabeth.  
“Who are you?” Annabeth asked.  
“Tamika Flynn. And you are?”  
“Annabeth.”  
“Oooooooh. The radio host’s kid?”  
“Yup. That’s me.”  
“Well, kid, you’re gonna have to stick with us.” Tamika gestured toward the other kids. Suddenly, a growl rang out. “Run, Annabeth! Run! The librarians are coming!”  
“The what?”  
Tamika didn’t answer, she just grabbed Annabeth’s arm and ran. 

\-----------------

Tamika felt bad for Annabeth. She was only 11. Too young to suffer while fighting the librarians. Well, guess I have to keep her alive. Tamika thought, knowing that if the younger girl died, Cecil would be madder and sadder than he was during the broadcast on June 15, 2013. That had been… interesting to listen to. But if his daughter died, there was no telling what he’d do.

\-----------------

As Annabeth ran, she pulled out her dagger, which thankfully had been with her when she woke up the library. She snuck up on a librarian, muttering, “I’m dyslexic, you piece of man-eating trash,” before stabbing it. “Woah,” said Tamika behind her, “that was badass. Where’d you get that knife?”  
“Um-” Annabeth started, hesitant to say too much.  
“Oh, crap! Look out!” Another one of the kids shouted. Annabeth ducked as Tamika hit a librarian with a copy of the unabridged Chronicles of Narnia.  
“Is that an exit?” Annabeth asked, pointing to a door that had just appeared in the wall. But it wasn’t like that door from that night in 2007, or the ones that had been appearing around town. Instead, it was bright yellow.  
Tamika grinned. “Looks like it.”

\-----------------

As all the kids from the Summer Reading Program walked through the door, Annabeth realized that this was completely different from the door she had come from into Night Vale. This door, instead of leading straight to somewhere in the town, it lead to a series of twisting corridors, full of mirrors and different, shifting colors. She shivered, thinking of her dad’s fear of mirrors. Eventually, one of the kids said, “Look! A door! Maybe it leads back home!” Tamika, the group's elected leader, opened the door to find… the outside of the library. Annabeth immediately ran to the radio station at full speed. 

“Dad! Dad! I’m okay!” she shouted, bursting into the recording booth, ignoring the ‘on air’ sign.  
“Annabeth? You’re okay!” Cecil shouted, hugging her tightly, then proceeding to report this on the radio. He sent the listeners to the weather report, which today was ‘You and I Belong’ by Simone Felice. He asked all the Scared Dad Questions™ like, “Where were you?” “What happened?” “What do you need?” “Are you hurt?” Annabeth said she was fine, a bit scratched, that she had made new friends, and everything else. 

That night, Annabeth fell asleep, happy to be home and safe with her dad, knowing that whatever happened, they would have each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! Linden can write longer chapters! And they're not dead!
> 
> (Did anyone spot the TMA reference, btw? It'll be important, I promise!)


	7. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 15, 2014. Night Vale rebels against Strex Corp. Oh and also, there's a mayoral election.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT! PLOT! PLOT! PLOT! PLO-

**Night Vale, USA**

**June 15, 2014**

Annabeth ran through the chaos, watching for the StrexCorp employees. She was clutching her dagger in her hand, having trained for a year now, after the Summer Reading Program incident. She knew the goal: overthrow Strex, hopefully get everyone in the desert otherworld back home. Annabeth stabbed an employee, running faster. One person shouted, “Believe in a Smiling God!”  
“No! Fuck you!” she shouted, calling for her comrade and friend, Tamika, to finish the job. Tamika shot a copy of Les Misérables with a slingshot. Suddenly, there was a deep rumbling, and an old oak door opened. Annabeth stopped, wondering if her dad’s boyfriend Carlos, was coming back. Keep fighting, she told herself, he’ll be ok.

\-----------------

Grover knew she was here somewhere. The demigod he was sent to find. The girl that had been missing for seven years. Not even the gods could find her. Annabeth Chase. Chiron said it was Athena who had finally gotten a mark on her lost daughter’s location. _The town of Night Vale, she had said, in… Nevada? Arizona? New Mexico? We aren’t sure. All I know is my daughter’s there._

He had to find Annabeth.

\-----------------

Annabeth watched the final Strex Corp employee disappear through the doors. She had heard her dad report it all over the radio. Dana Cardinal being elected mayor, the fighting, his phone calls with his boyfriend. He never could keep his mouth shut. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.

“Are you Annabeth? Annabeth Chase? I’ve been sent to find you.” said the new boy. To find her. Maybe he was sent by her old family. Maybe they had found her, after seven fucking years. Or maybe- she shut down the thought. The Greek gods hadn’t contacted her since 2007.

“Yes. That’s me. But that’s not my name.” Annabeth said to the boy, sheathing her knife and crossing her arms.

“Oh. Um. W-what is it, then? Did you change it when you ran away?” he replied, obviously confused.

“No- well, I guess kind of? I got adopted, so my last name changed. Annabeth Palmer, at your service.”

\-----------------

Grover shook Annabeth’s hand, introducing himself. When he told her he was from Camp Half-Blood, a camp for the children of the gods, she grimaced.

“I didn’t know there was a camp for people like me. Maybe I should’ve gone there.” Annabeth said, wiping what looked like sweat and blood from her forehead.

“Are you hurt? I know some first aid and-”

“No, I’m fine. You should’ve seen me after the librarians.”

“The what?” Grover stuttered. _This place is strange. Fighting librarians? What did they do to you?_  
Seeing his face, Annabeth laughed and said “Yeah, it’s a bit weird, but when you’ve lived here for seven years, like I have, you get used to it. You should talk to my dad sometime. Weirdest guy I’ve ever met.” she said affectionately. “Speaking of my dad, I should go talk to him about this. But I will warn you, he’s going through it.”

“Yeah, a major battle will do that to you.”

“Oh, yeah that too. I was talking about the fact that his boyfriend, who he’s only dated for about a year, was just sealed in another plane of existence.”

“Excuse me. What.”

“Yup. Like I said, weird place.”

\-----------------

Cecil took the news surprisingly well, all things considered. Annabeth introduced Grover, said what he was here for, asked if she could go. He said, “Yeah, sure, as long as I can drive you and your friend here. Where is this camp, anyway?” Grover, the poor kid looking hella confused, said it was in New York.

So that is how Annabeth ended up on a road trip with a new friend -who turned out to be part goat, by the way- and her dad. About a day later, they arrived. As Annabeth was gathering her stuff, she saw a boy who looked to be about her age, with black hair and green eyes, getting out of a car and saying to the person inside, “Bye! Love you, see you at the end of the summer!” in a British accent.

She walked up to the boy. “Um-hi.” _Wow Annabeth_ , she thought, _daughter of the goddess of wisdom, and that’s all you’ve got?_

“Hello! What’s your name? I’m Percy!” He said, in that same accent.

“Annabeth. Who’s your godly parent? Is that normal to know?”

“No, I don’t know. You do?”

“I’m a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. I’ve known since I was five.”

“Huh. Guess I’ll find out soon, then.” Percy said. “Well, maybe we should head to that big blue house, then?”

“Uh, sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh I need to stop time jumping. Anyway, there will be a separate fic in this series explaining why Percy's a Brit.


	8. The Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth learns about Camp Half-Blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read my other fic, Percy's mom died when he was little, so Jon Jarchivist Sims adopted him. Is this the nichest three-way crossover ever? Yeah.

**Long Island, New York, USA**

**June 16, 2014**

Annabeth had seen some strange things, so her new mentor being half horse wasn't _that_ huge. Percy looked slightly amazed, but not blown away. _There's a story there_ , Annabeth thought. 

Chiron led Percy to the Hermes cabin, where he and Annabeth parted ways before she went to the Athena cabin. 

"Annabeth, these are your siblings and cabinmates. Everyone, this is Annabeth. She's known about her parentage for a while now." Then Chiron bid them goodbye and left. 

"How long have you known?" One kid asked. This opened the floodgates to a shitload of kids asking their newfound sister about her life. At one point, one of them pointed at Annabeth's Night Vale Community Radio shirt she had been gifted by her dad, and said, "1) Where is Night Vale, and 2) You might want to change that." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop, another short one. Ah well.


End file.
